Page 66 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

Jack gets him good with an uppercut that makes Emil's head snap back. Blood sprays from his nose. But Emil doesn't go down. He wipes the blood away and keeps fighting.

When the bell rings, both men are barely standing. Jack has a black eye forming. Emil's nose looks broken, blood streaming down his face.

One more fight. Just one more.

Kevin steps forward, and my stomach drops. Kevin's the oldest, and also the angriest, the most protective.

He climbs into the ring, and I can see the fury in his eyes.

The bell rings.

Kevin doesn't hold anything back. He comes at Emil like a man possessed, throwing punches with everything he has. Emil blocks, dodges, and counters, but Kevin's relentless. A hit to Emil's already injured ribs makes him gasp. Another to his jaw staggers him.

I grip the ropes of the ring, my knuckles white. Emil's going to fall. He has to fall. No one can take this much punishment and stay standing.

But he does.

Even as Kevin lands blow after blow, even as more blood streams from Emil's nose and a cut opens above his eye, Emil stays on his feet. He fights back with everything he has left, landing hits that make Kevin grunt and stumble.

The three minutes stretch into forever. Every second feels like an hour. Every punch makes me flinch.

Finally, mercifully, the bell rings.

Kevin steps back, breathing hard. His face is bruised, his knuckles bloody. But he's standing.

So is Emil.

Emil sways slightly, his face a mess of blood and bruises. His left eye is swollen nearly shut. He's got cuts on his cheekbone and above his eyebrow. He looks pale, like he might pass out any second.

But he's standing.

My brothers look just as bad. All of them took a beating at Emil's hands. All of them are bloody and bruised, holding various body parts in pain.

The gym is silent. My brothers stare at Emil with expressions I can't quite read. Shock, maybe. And something else. Something that looks almost like respect.

"Well," Emil says, his voice rough. "I'm still standing."

Kevin nods slowly. "Yeah. You are."

"Then we have an agreement."

Another pause. Then all four of my brothers nod.

"We accept it," Jack says quietly. "The relationship. The marriage. We won't interfere."

"And the investigation?"

Jack's jaw clenches, but he nods. "No investigation."

Emil nods once, then sways again. Luca moves forward quickly, but Emil waves him off. "I'm fine."

He's not fine. He looks like he's about to collapse.

I climb into the ring and move to his side, but he shakes his head. "See your brothers out first."

Right. Because even now, even beaten and bloody, he's thinking about appearances. About showing strength.

I climb back out and walk my brothers to the front door. They're all quiet, subdued. When we reach the entrance, I turn to face them.